METHOD OF OPERATING A VEHICLE TAIL LIGHT DETECTION SYSTEM FOR AN AUTOMATED CARWASH AND VEHICLE TAIL LIGHT DETECTION SYSTEM

Abstract

In a carwash a vehicle is conveyed via a conveyor. An initial image of a rear portion of the vehicle traversing the carwash is captured. The initial image is processed and a recorded light intensity of a tail light of the vehicle is generated. A benchmark light intensity is derived from the light intensity and a margin of error. Sample images of the tail lights of the vehicle are periodically obtained. The sample images are processed to derive sampled tail light intensities. The sampled tail light intensities are compared to the benchmark tail light intensity. The conveyor is stopped if a sampled tail light intensity is greater than the benchmark tail light intensity.

Claims

1. A method for operating an automated carwash having a carwash tunnel, a conveyor having rollers disposed in the carwash tunnel, a controller and at least one image sensor disposed in the carwash tunnel, which comprises the steps of: a) conveying a vehicle into the carwash tunnel; b) capturing an initial image of a tail light of the vehicle at an entry region of the carwash tunnel; c) generating a benchmark tail light intensity from the initial image; d) capturing a sample image of the tail light of the vehicle disposed further along the carwash tunnel in a direction of travel; e) generating a sample tail light intensity from the sample image; f) comparing the sample tail light intensity with the benchmark tail light intensity; g) stopping the conveyor and thus the vehicle if the sample tail light intensity is greater than the benchmark tail light intensity.

2. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises capturing the initial image and the sample image with the at least one image sensor.

3. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises capturing the initial image with a first image sensor and the sample image with a second image sensor.

4. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises continuously repeating steps d)-g).

5. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises filtering the initial image for removing background lighting.

6. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises continuously repeating steps d)-g) with sample images from a plurality of image sensors.

7. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises generating the benchmark light intensity derived from the initial image with a margin of error.

8. A method for operating a carwash, which comprises the steps of: conveying a vehicle into the carwash via a conveyor; capturing an initial image of a rear portion of the vehicle traversing the carwash; filtering the initial image and recording a light intensity of a tail light of the vehicle; generating a benchmark tail light intensity derived from the light intensity and a margin of error; periodically capturing sample images of the tail lights of the vehicle based on a periodic time; processing the sample images to derive sampled tail light intensities; comparing the sampled tail light intensities to the benchmark tail light intensity; and stopping the conveyor if a sampled tail light intensity is greater than the benchmark tail light intensity.

9. A method for operating an automated carwash having a carwash tunnel, a conveyor having rollers disposed in the carwash tunnel, a controller and at least one image sensor disposed in the carwash tunnel, which comprises the steps of: conveying a vehicle into the carwash tunnel; capturing an initial image of a tail light of the vehicle at an entry region of the carwash tunnel; generating a benchmark tail light intensity from the initial image; capturing a sample image of the tail light of the vehicle disposed further along the carwash tunnel in a direction of travel; generating a sample tail light intensity from the sample image; comparing the sample tail light intensity with the benchmark tail light intensity and determining that a braked vehicle is present if the sample tail light intensity is greater than the benchmark tail light intensity; and determining if a further vehicle is approaching the braked vehicle, if no further vehicle is detected or a distance to the further vehicle is above a distance threshold, continue operating the conveyor, otherwise the conveyor is stopped.

10. An automated carwash, comprising: a carwash tunnel; a conveyor for conveying vehicles in said carwash tunnel; and at least one image sensor for imaging tail lights of the vehicles, said image sensor having a processing unit for processing image data including intensity levels of light output by the tail lights of the vehicle, said processing unit programmed to: allow a conveyance of a vehicle in the automated carwash via said conveyor; capture an initial image of a rear portion of the vehicle traversing the automated carwash; filter the initial image and record a light intensity of a tail light of the vehicle; generate a benchmark tail light intensity derived from the light intensity; periodically capture sample images of the tail lights of the vehicle; process the sample images to derive sampled tail light intensities; compare the sampled tail light intensities to the benchmark tail light intensity; and stop the conveyor if a sampled tail light intensity is greater than the benchmark tail light intensity.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

[0029] FIG. 1 is an illustration of a carwash tunnel with image sensors according to the invention; and

[0030] FIG. 2 is a flow chart for explaining a method of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0031] Referring now to the figures of the drawings in detail and first, particularly to FIG. 1 thereof, there is shown a vehicle carwash tunnel 1. The carwash tunnel 1 generally contains an entrance, an exit, and one or more pieces of wash equipment. Wash equipment may comprise, brushes, sprayers, dispensers, blowers, mitters, or the like, as would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art.

[0032] Within the tunnel 1 are a plurality of vehicles 2 traversing the tunnel 1 and going from one carwash station to another along a direction of travel D. Throughout the carwash tunnel 1 is a plurality of image sensors 3 that constantly monitor a luminosity or light intensity output by vehicle tail lights 4. When a carwash customer presses his/her brake lights there is a change in the intensity of light output by the vehicle 2. The pressing of the brakes may also occur due to actuation of an automated safety system. The light intensity signals are provided to a processing unit 5 which analyzes the data. The processing unit 5 can be a standalone processor connected to all of the image sensors or can be incorporated in one or more image sensors 3. However, the processing unit 5 is usually an existing processor configured to control the equipment in the wash tunnel 1.

[0033] A conveyor 6 transports the vehicle 2 throughout the tunnel 1. A roller 7 of the conveyor 6 engages behind a wheel 8 of the vehicle 2 and pushes the vehicle 2 along. If the operator of the vehicle 2 presses down on the brake pedal, the vehicle 2 will hop over the roller 7 and stop until a following roller 7 engages the wheel 8 for further transport of the vehicle 2 in the carwash tunnel 1.

[0034] At this point we note that the image sensors 3 in the carwash tunnel 1 are generally used for positioning brushes 9 and other carwash equipment in relationship to incoming vehicles 2. More specifically, the brushes 9 are positioned and spaced in dependence on a sensed vehicle size, shape and velocity. At this point we emphasize that the image sensors 3 used in the tail light sensing are already disposed in the carwash tunnel 1 and do not have to be special or new image sensors 3.

[0035] FIG. 2 is a flow chart diagramming the basic principles of the invention. In step 10 the vehicle 2 is loaded onto the conveyor 6. In step 20, the roller 7 is activated and pushes the vehicle 2. In step 30, the image sensors 3 capture an initial image. In step 40, image software filters the initial image in order to remove other lights including red lights used inside the carwash tunnel and records the light intensity of the tail lights 4 in the initial image and outputs a benchmark tail light intensity based on the initial image and an error margin. In step 50, at least one image sensor 3 and preferably a plurality of images sensors 3 periodically monitor the tail lights 4 of the vehicle 2 and continuously output new sample images. In step 60, the sample image is processed and filtered resulting in a sampled tail light intensity. In step 70, the sampled tail light intensity is compared to the benchmark tail light intensity. If the sampled tail light intensity is greater than the benchmark tail light intensity a braked vehicle is detected. Upon detection of the braked vehicle, a distance to a following vehicle is determined, step 80. If no vehicle or the distance to the following vehicle is great enough that another roller 7 will engage the wheel 8 of a braked car, the operation of the carwash is continued. If it is determined that the distance to following distance is short, the conveyor 6 is stopped and a warning signal is generated, step 90. For example, the warning signal may be an audible signal, a light based signal, and/or a text signal.

[0036] In step 70, if the sampled tail light intensity is less than the benchmark tail light intensity, the system continues with another sampling period, step 100.